Novak Djokovic Beats Marton Fucsovics in 4 Sets to Kick Off 2018 US Open Run

For a brief moment, it looked like Novak Djokovic would provide the men's side with its biggest first-round upset.

Instead, Djokovic locked in when he needed it and got the job done Tuesday. The No. 6 seed came back from down a break in the third set to defeat Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 at the 2018 U.S. Open.

The sweltering heat at Flushing Meadows led to difficult conditions for both players. Fucsovics was clearly exhausted after blowing his chance in the third set. The U.S. Open did give the players their designated 10-minute break between the third and fourth sets, during which time both players stripped down and took an ice bath together.

"It was funny because the physio was a couple of feet away from me, and we were kind of winking at each other and were giving each other signs about what I'm supposed to do and not do," Djokovic told reporters. "It was funny because me and Martin had ice baths next to each other. We were naked in the ice baths, and it was quite a wonderful feeling.

"Battling with a guy for two-and-a-half hours and then you get into the locker room and you haven't finished the match and you're naked in the ice baths. It was a magnificent feeling I must say."

Djokovic needed a medical timeout during the second set to deal with the heat. A cardiologist on the court gave him a pill so he could continue with the match. 

"I was praying that I got to feel better because I wasn't feeling great for most of the first three sets," Djokovic told reporters. "I want to thank the U.S. Open for allowing us to have a 10-minute break after the third set. We both needed it."

Djokovic dropped the second set and was down a break to Fucsovics in the third. Fucsovics has never gone past the first round at the U.S. Open. 

Djokovic has reached the finals in five of the last six U.S. Opens he has played. He was absent from the 2017 event while recovering from an injury.

After winning his fourth Wimbledon and capturing a title in Cincinnati coming into the year's final major, there was no hotter player on the planet than Djokovic.

Tuesday's match kept that up. Literally and figuratively.